By Rose Bell
As the second of two micro TBMs and smallest of the three TBMs on Auckland’s Central Interceptor project, Victoria broke through into a shaft at Mt Roskill this week.
In order to constructing a wastewater and stormwater pipe that will link to the 16.2km Central Interceptor wastewater tunnel, this machine was commissioned 18 months ago.
The advantages of this pipe that is due to be built by TBM Victoria will be allowing for a major housing development in the area as well as decreasing wet weather overflows into local beaches and waterways.
Reaching the final breakthrough on the 3.2km link sewer tunnel in March 2024, micro TBM Domenica is currently being refurbished before commencing work on link sewer B in late July. Including two separate drives, this link will be just over 1km long.
The starting up date of Central Interceptor’s main TBM, Hiwa-i-te-Rangi, was August 2021, whereas it completed 11.3km of the bore towards central Auckland and laid 7068 rings.
The financial support to extend the Central Interceptor by more than 1km was awarded to Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture (GAJV) in late May.
As country’s largest bored wastewater tunnel, rhe Central Interceptor is the largest wastewater project in New Zealand’s history and is going to store 226,000m3 of wastewater, control the flows into treatment plants and reduce the number of wastewater overflows.
